Protective device for boxers



May 3 1927.

M. GOLOMB PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR BOXERS Filed June 30. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 z ZINVENTOR Z J6, M

ATTORNEY 1,627,382 y 1927' M. GOLOMB PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR BOXERS Filed June so, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 g %:VENTOR lm ATTORNEY 5 loves, but to be worn either wit Patented May 3, 1927.

UN 'i AT-ES P'TENI' F F 'l CE.

'Iv IOR-RIS -GOLOMB, 02E NEW YORK; N. Y., ASSIGIQ'OR'TG) EVERLAST'SPORTING GOODS MFG. COL, 'OF NTEW'YDRK, N. Y., A FIRM CUMPOSEDOF MORRIS GOIiOMB AND JACOB4GO- PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR BGXERS.

Application filed June 30, 1926. Serial- No. 119,-644.

My invention relates to a device adapted to be worn on the hands of boxers and prize fighters, especially during training, and the object of the device is to protect the hahds, knuckles and wrists of the boxer while training, although it is also adapted to be worn during boxing contests The device is not intended to displace the ordinary boxing h or without the --usual boXifng gloves, although itwill not be worn without the'boxing gloves except during training only.

The device comprises a pad covering the rear of the hand or wrist, and this portion of the device is provided with suitable packingor padding to protect the knuckles and portions of the fingers and thumb, but leaving the ends of these free for manipulation. Iii-addition to the soft padding at the back of the hand, there are stiffening reeds formed in pockets to brace both the thumb andthe wrist joints of'the hand in order-to prevent injury to the several joints. The front portion of the device consists of flaps which fold across the palm and wrist, and these are tightened by suitable lacing in order to hold the rear or protective portion of the device tightly upon the hand, and at the same time i leaving the fro'nt portion of the hand more or less free for manipulation, It is common practice for boxers to bind'their hands and wrists with bandages for protective purposes, and these bandages are usually worn inside of the boxinggl'ovesf The object .of

' the present device is to obtain all of'the advantages derived from such bandages but to leave the hands subject to freer action with even greater protection than with 'the bandages. The present device is compact and it is therefore adapted to'be worn either without boxing gloves, as when training, or it may be worn with the boxing glove laced over it, and in the latter case it \vill'not be subject to any greater objection than the usual bandage permitted in boxing bouts.

In the drawings forming part of this application,

' Figure 1 is an elevation of my device looking atthe rear of the hand and inlthis case the device is illustrated in connection with the lef-t 'hand,

igure'Q is an elevation o'f'the device itself, the hand being omitted,- and the view [is taken fromthe inside or'itowafrd'tlre palm.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of the device,

Figure 4 is "an-end view of the top,

'Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line '5-5 of F igure 2, and

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6'6 of Figure-2.

' It will be understood that the device is made for both the right and left hand, and the principal difference is in the reversal of position of the thumb guard. In the present case Ihave chosen to illustrate*the device as applied to'the left hand, it being under stood that the companion article will be modified accordingly to fit the right hand. In the drawings 1 have-shown a back Wall 1 adapted to cover the back of the hand, and

this is preferably made of two sheets of leather, superimposed with suitable packing or padding 4 between them as'well as'the stiffening members or reeds hereinafter described. Preferably the back wall, consisting of'the inner and outer sheets, is formed of leather, although it will be understood that other material, suitable for the purpose, may be employed. In the drawings I have indicated the back wall as formed of the sheet 2 which overlies and is coextensive with aninner'sheet 3 thelatter forming :the lining, these two sheets being stitched together at the wrist end bythelines of stitching 5 and by other lines'of stitching 6 which will be referred 'to in detail. At the wrist endv of the artielethere is asheet padding 4 preferably of felt, which is held in placejby means of an archedline of stitches '7 which also closes the ends of certain pockets; There is a pocket formed between-the rear wall sheets by means of a line of stitches 9 extending inU shapeina diagonal position, so vthat the pocket included within this line of stitches extends along the back of t-he thumb Zjfrom a point on the wrist and across the joint of the 'thumb. Within'this pocket there is placed in addition to the sheet of feltwhich acts as 'apadding, a reed orestifi'eni'ng member 10 which may be made of rattan and which I prefer to make of shape in cross section with'the rounded surface pointed away from the hand and the flat side toward the "bones of th thumb. This jstiifening "member o r"reed isinsrted engthwise into thejpoeket sapwardiyfmm tlie"wri'st and, and" bdfore' tlie' archedl of stitching 7 is formed. There is another pocket 11 formed longitudinally between the rear walls by a line of stitches 12 extending in U shape along the back of the device and forming a pocket which is preferably positioned in line with the middle finger. Between this pocket and the pocket 8 the walls 2, 3 are separated or filled by means of a padding 13 of considerable thickness, so that the outer surface of the device at this point projects normally beyond the surface of the reed. Within the pocket 11 there is placed a reed let corresponding with the reed in the first described pocket, and this is preferably also made D shape in cross section, with the convex surface away from the hand and the flatsurfaoe toward the hand. This reed is preferably also inserted lengthwise into the pocket 11 from the bottom before the arched line of stitches 7 is formed. There is another pocket 15 formed by a U shape line of stitches 16 this pocket being preferably placed in line with the third finger of the hand. There is a reed 17 inserted in this pocket preferably in the same manner as the preceding reeds. Between the pockets 15 and 11 the back walls are filled with a packing as indicated at 18 which raises the outer surface somewhat above the tops of the reeds. At the extreme left in Figure 1 I have shown another pocket 19 formed by the U shape line of stitches 20 this pocket being of shorter length than the previous ones; and there is a reed 21 arranged within this pocket so as to extend over the wrist joint at the outer side of the back of the hand.

Between the rear walls where the latter cover the hand and knuckles, the padding 22 is of greater thickness than adjacent the reeds, in order to provide a very full padding for the hand and knuckles to prevent injury to them when striking blows with the knuckles. At the inner side of the hand, there is a strap 23 surrounding the end of the thumb and it is formed preferably of the double sheet of leather and the sheet of felt lining between them, but the front of the device is open at 24 allowing freedom for the movement of the thumb in bending. Adjacent the upper edge there is a strap 25 stitched at intervals to the back member to form intermediate loops. This member is shown in Figure 2 and comprises a strap attached at opposite ends to the side edges of the back member and is shown attached by three sets of stitched lines 26, 27 28 to the back member at intervals, so that the strap is formed into four different loops 29, 30, 31, 32 to permit the four fingers ofthe hand to project through them, as shown in Figure 1, in order that when the hand is closed or clenched the back member will bedrawn around to conform to the back of the hand.

At the front of the device and above the center line of the palm, there are oppositely extending flaps 33, 34 secured at opposite side edges to the back member and folded toward each other to cover the upper portion of the palm of the hand. There are similar flaps 35, 36 arranged below the center line of the palm, and these are likewise attached at opposite sides to the back member and are folded toward each other as shown in Figure 2. This leaves an interrupted central portion 37 over the center of the palm to allow freedom of movement where the palm bends in the action of closing the hand. The upper flaps 33, 34 are drawn toward each other to tighten the device around the knuckles by means of a lacing 38 which is passed alternately, back and forth, through the eyelets 39 arranged adjacent the edge of the flap 33 and the eyelets 40 arranged adjacent the edge of the opposite flap 34. This lacin jumps across the blank space 37 between tie upper and lower sets of flaps and the lacing then continues, back and forth, between the row of eyelets 41 on the lower flap 35 and also the eyelets 42 on the companion lower flap 36. Starting at the top flaps, the lacing may be drawn up tightly to draw the device snugly around the knuckles, and the lacing may be then tightened at the lower flaps to draw the device snugly around the wrist, after which the ends of the laces may be tied.

In using the device the lacing 38 is first loosened up and the hand is placed endwise into the device from the bottom end in F igure 2, with the back of the hand facing the back wall and the palm facing the flaps and lacing. The hand is pushed upwardly until the thumb passes through the loop 23 and the four fingers pass through the respective loops 29 to 32. The lacing is then tightened as above described, to draw the upper and lower flaps across the palm and wrist, and the lacing is then tied.

The device as thus applied to the hand allows the latter to be closed or clenched in the position necessary for boxing or practicing and in fact there is greater freedom in thisrespect than where the hand is bound with the customary bandage. At the same time the knuckles of the fingers and hand, as well as the joint of the wrist, are more completely protected than where the hand and wrist are simply bound with a bandage. The stiffening reeds protect the wrist joint against injury and they also protect the bones of the hand and of the thumb, so that a boxer may resort to strenuous training while preparing for a boxing match without fear of disabling the hands prior to the contest. It will be apparent that the present device may be used either alone or the device may be attached to the hand and both may be inserted into the boxing gloves, in which event the boxer will be protected both by the gloves and by this device, and the opponent will not be subjected to any greater injury than if the boxing gloves were used in conjunction with the ordinary bandage. An additional advantage of the present device over the ordinary bandage is that the device may be standardized, thus eliminating any question of difference in bandaging or in the amount of bandage used. The present device may be more quickly applied and removed than the bandage, and it may be applied and removed by the boxer without assistance.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A protective device of the character described comprising a member adapted to fit over the hand, said member including a padded covering for the back of the hand, flaps arranged across the upper portion of the palm, and other flaps adjacent the lower portion of. the palm of the hand, leaving a gap at the intermediate portion of the palm, and a lacing for drawing said flaps toward each other to tighten the device on the hand.

2. A protective device of the character described comprising a member adapted to fit over the hand, said member including a padded covering for the back of the hand and adapted to extend above the knuckles, loops to receive the fingers therein arranged on the palm side of the device adjacent the upper end, flaps arranged across the upper portion of the palm and other flaps adjacent the lower portion of the palm of the hand leaving a gap at the intermediate portion of the palm, and means for drawing said flaps toward each other to tighten the device on the hand.

3. A protective device of the character described comprising a member adapted to fit over the hand, said member including a padded covering for the back of the hand, stifi'ening members extending lengthwise of the hand of substantially D shape in cross section with the convex surface directed outwardly, flaps adapted to fold over the palm of the hand, and means for drawin said flaps toward each other to tighten tile device on the hand.

4. A protective device of the character described comprising a member adapted to fit over the hand, said member including a padded covering for the back of the hand, and a section for covering the back of the thumb, and having incorporated therein stiffening members extending lengthwise of the hand, one of said stiffening members extending along the back of the thumb, flaps adapted to fold over the palm of the hand and means for drawing said flaps toward each other to tighten the device on the hand.

5. A protective device of the character described comprising a member adapted to fit over the hand, said member including a padded covering for the back of the hand and for the back of the thumb, and having incorporated therein stifiening reeds one of which extends along the back of the thumb and others extend in the line of the fingers of the hand, a loop on the upper end of said thumb covering to receive the thumb therethrough, loops on the palm side of the upper portion of said device to receive the fingers of the hand therethrough, flaps extending inwardly from opposite sides of the back section and means for drawing said flaps toward each other across the palm to tighten the device on the hand.

Signed this 26 day of May, 1926, at the city, county and State of New York.

MORRIS GOLOMB. 

